As parents, it is important that you understand that there are some mistakes that you can make that can greatly affect the choices your child make both short-term and long-term. Some children have had to lead a poor life because of the mistakes their parents make. Sadly enough, many parents make these mistakes without even knowing what they are doing. In the end, their children become victims of the mistakes their parents made.
In order to tackle these mistakes many parents are guilty of, it is important we understand them and how they are implicated in the life of a child and the choices they make. Here are three of the common mistakes parents make today and how to avoid them:
- Over-parenting: It is not strange to see some parents wanting to make every decision for their child. They decide what they wear, eat, school they attend and friends they should keep. While it is good to plan a future for a child, taking away the ability to make choices and exercise their decision making leaves a child vulnerable to future challenges and unable to make independent decisions. As much as you care for your child, always leave room for them to do things and think for themselves.
- Uninvolved parenting: Some parents have the notion that making provision for every need their child may have makes up for their absence in the life of their child. Due to business and tight schedules, they are never physically and/or emotionally available for their child. Under no circumstance should a parent think that material things can make up for quality time with a child. Even with busy schedules, what matters most is making your child feel loved and cherished by spending quality time with them.
- Unhealthy culture at home: Some parents quarrel more than they commune. In some families, it gets worse as the children can always see their parents getting into occasional fights. Parents need to understand that such marital issues can influence the choices their children make in future. A son or daughter who watches his father harass his mother can be affected psychologically. Parents need to be conscious on how they manage marital issues both in the presence and absence of their children.
When parents learn to be aware of these mistakes, they can take better approach in managing them.